Shortage of rock engineers a problem

South African mine seismology specialist SiM Mining Consultants is increasing awareness of the risks associated with rockbursts in deep-level mines by compiling the mine seismology section for the Chamber of Mines’ (CoM’s) rock engineering...

Tau Tona mine, South Africa

A gold operation located south-west of Johannesburg.

A brief look at SA’s coal-mining industry

Most coal production in South Africa - about 53% - is from opencast mines, with the balance being produced by bord-and-pillar (40%), stoping (4%) and longwall mining (3%). Coal mining operations are clustered in the country’s Mpumalanga...

Vele mine rehab to take place concurrently with mining - CoAL

Mining and rehabilitation will take place concurrently at Coal of Africa's (CoAL's) Vele's opencast coal project where South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has ordered mining to cease. The Vele opencast mine, which is 15 km...

Consol will restart Buchanan mine, cuts '09 guidance again

Pittsburgh-based coal-miner Consol Energy has reduced its production outlook for 2009 to 60-million tons, from a previous estimate of 62-million tons, as it seeks to match output to weak demand. Last year, the company produced 64,4-million tons...

US coal producer installs longwall mining system

Underground mining services and systems company Joy Mining has successfully installed its new longwall mining system at coal producer Arch Coal's Mountain Laurel complex, in the US

Xstrata target Resource Pacific to boost ouput

Australian coal miner, which earlier this month rejected a takeover bid from diversified-miner Xstrata, plans to increase production after resuming longwall mining at its Newpac mine, in New South Wales.

Longwall mining benefits from correct sealing

Exclusive distributors in Southern Africa for Hallite Seals - Bearing Man and the company’s specialised Sealco seals division - supplies the mining industry with a range of quality seals, which includes products that meet the growing demands...

New Denmark fuels an energy partnership

“One must understand that this is not a mine and a power station, but rather a complex that produces energy,” explains Themba Masondo, GM of New Denmark Colliery, Anglo Coal’s feeder mine for Eskom’s Tutuka power station.

$4m longwall automation project

The Australian Coal Association (ACA) is funding a three-year $4-million research project into longwall automation.

Gold’s No 5 back with bang – and even talking platinum

Gold Fields’ glowing December 1999 quarter results show that it is now back with a bang and talking new capital expenditure using a tenfold quarter-on-quarter earnings rise.

Productivity boosted by longwall mining

The longwall mining method boasts results such as productivity increases and higher extraction rates, reports the Chamber of Mines. Together with shortwall mining, a variation of longwall mining originating in the US, these are being used by some...